Farm To Table Dinner

Forge Appalachia would like to extend our deepest gratitude for our friends, family, neighbors, and community for coming out this evening in support of our BOWTHAIS & BALLGOWNS scholarship fundraiser dinner. A huge thanks to our friends at Thai This for preparing an incredible farm to table meal, as well as Seven Sisters Brewery and West Wind Farm Vineyard & Winery for our beverages. Thank you to Nate Montgomery for providing music, laughter, and hosting our dessert auction. Special thanks to the Wytheville Farmers Market and their vendors, Open Door Cafe, Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre, and the Wytheville Police Department. Thanks to our friends at Wytheville Museums for providing the lovely Jackson/Umberger Homestead Museum as the setting for tonight's event as well as staff to help shuttle our guests and have the museum open for tours. Also, a heartfelt thanks to our friends from Chestnut Creek School of the Arts for making the journey up to attend this event and support us yet again. There are countless others who have played a part in helping plan, organize, oversee, and make this evening happen. We couldn't do this without YOU. It takes a village and we just happen to live and work in one like no other. Thank you for believing in our mission to make art and the creation of it accessible for everyone. All funds raised tonight will not only go into the Forge scholarship fund, but also to the town's museum system to continue educational programming.

Our mission with Forge Appalachia is to preserve the unique culture of our region. Among Wytheville’s earliest settlers were German immigrants who contributed much in terms of culture and art to the storied history and heritage that is Wytheville. Fastnacht day is the PA Dutch or German tradition associated with Fat Tuesday. It occurs on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. (Fast night) Because many choose to fast or deny themselves sweets and treats during Lent, it was common to indulge on Fat Tuesday. Fat/Shrove Tuesday is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent. To prepare for Lent, many religions emptied their pantries of indulgences like lard and sugar. In using up the supplies, the Fastnacht was born. This year, Forge Appalachia in partnership with Wytheville Museums, will host our First Annual Fasnacht celebration; an event that is open for anyone and everyone to attend. Sweets, treats, good food, ales, and merriment will be plenty! We’ll also have a traditional burning of Old Man Winter to conclude festivities and mark the end of cold days.